Mistrial declared in Sebastian County murder trialFORT SMITH, Ark. (AP) — A mistrial has been declared in the first-degree murder trial of a Fort Smith man. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/2cf2CGB ) that the mistrial was declared Friday in the trial of 30-year-old Denver Pennington when jurors were unable to reach a verdict after nearly six hours of deliberations over two days. Pennington was charged in the Jan. 26 shooting death of 33-year-old Arthur McIntyre. Prosecutor...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Mans body found in a ditch in Hot SpringsHOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — Garland County authorities say the body of a man has been found in a ditch just east of Hot Springs. The sheriff's office says deputies were called about 4:15 p.m. Friday when the body was found. Authorities say the man's identity and a suspected cause of death have not been determined.

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Chamber sides with Exxon in appeal over Arkansas oil spillLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is siding with Exxon Mobil in the company's appeal of a fine and safety measures ordered by a federal regulatory agency after the company's Pegasus pipeline burst in March 2013 and spilled tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into a central Arkansas neighborhood. The chamber filed a friend-of-the-court brief this week with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans saying the...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Savvy Shields, of Arkansas, crowned Miss AmericaATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on the 2017 Miss America pageant (all times local): 11 p.m. Miss Arkansas Savvy Shields is the new Miss America. Shields topped a field of 52 contestants to win the crown and the title of Miss America 2017 Sunday night in Atlantic City. She succeeds the outgoing Miss America Betty Cantrell. Shields performed a jazz dance to a song from the TV show "Smash," for which she won a preliminary competition earlie...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Little Rock leaders OK temporary housing plan for collegeLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Little Rock city leaders have approved a plan calling for six temporary houses to accommodate an overflow of students at Philander Smith College. The Little Rock college had budgeted for 650 students this school year — but 750 students enrolled. On Tuesday, the Little Rock Board of Directors approved plans for "Panther Village," a $1.2 million project that includes six multisectional manufactured homes to accommodate t...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Forrest City police: 2 cousins shot in dispute over doorFORREST CITY, Ark. (AP) — Authorities in Forrest City say two cousins arguing over whether a door should be closed were injured when a gun accidentally discharged during the disagreement. Forrest City police say that one of the men had a gun in his pocket when they began arguing Tuesday afternoon. Detective Sgt. Jeff Nichols said that the gun went off during the dispute, and both men were struck in their legs. The Times-Herald reports (http://...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Wal-Mart: Coke display stacked like twin towers removedNEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart says a display of Coke cans stacked to look like the World Trade Center has been removed from a Florida store, and was not meant to be disrespectful near the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The display was mocked online after a photo was posted on Twitter, and Buzzfeed wrote about it. The photo showed the World Trade Center towers built of Coke Zero packages. A backdrop of the American flag was made with ...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas city denies claims in lawsuit over hot check courtLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A central Arkansas city and judge are denying a lawsuit's claims that they're effectively operating a debtors' prison with a court that has imposed hefty fines and jail time on thousands of people whose checks bounce. Attorneys for Sherwood and District Court Judge Milas "Butch" Hale III on Wednesday denied the claims in the lawsuit accusing them of violating the constitutional rights of thousands of residents through ...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

State police: 2 women killed in collision on Rogers highwayROGERS, Ark. (AP) — Authorities say two people were killed in northwest Arkansas when their car was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Arkansas State Police say a car driven by 56-year-old Elizabeth Mullins pulled out of a private drive and onto U.S. 62 near Rogers Tuesday afternoon when it was hit by a truck. A preliminary report says the car failed to yield to the oncoming vehicle. Mullins was killed in the wreck, along with a passenger in her c...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

University of Arkansas student dies after scooter crashFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Authorities say a 20-year-old college student has died after crashing his scooter last week on the University of Arkansas campus. University police Capt. Gary Crain says Cole Pangburn died Tuesday after suffering a head injury in the crash. Crain says Pangburn's death is the first fatality to result from an on-campus scooter crash. Pangburn was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. As of Wednesday morning, ne...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

White County capital murder case delayed over evidenceMCRAE, Ark. (AP) — A McRae man accused of running over and killing his wife says he can hire an attorney if he can get back his wallet, which was seized by police as evidence. The Daily Citizen (http://bit.ly/2bSPRiv ) reports that 55-year-old Bobby Moss is charged with capital murder in the death of 51-year-old Stacy Moss. Authorities responded to a call Aug. 6. about someone being run over in McRae. According to deputies, Stacy Moss was foun...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas regulators OK plan for pipeline to cross waterwaysLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — State regulators in Arkansas have approved plans for a $900 million crude-oil pipeline to cross five waterways in the state. The Arkansas Public Service Commission approved the request from Diamond Pipeline LLC, which plans to build a 440-mile pipeline that will move oil from Cushing, Oklahoma, to a Valero refinery in Memphis, Tennessee. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2bYaPjh ), the commissio...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Arkansas governor announces school coding competitionLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas is launching a regional and statewide coding competition to help promote the state's initiative to expand computer science classes in high school. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Wednesday that the competition will feature eight simultaneous regional competitions across the state, with the top two teams from each regional event receiving an invitation to participate in the statewide competition. Verizon also ann...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Pine Bluff rice mill briefly shut down for rice shortagePINE BLUFF, Ark. (AP) — A Pine Bluff rice mill has reopened after it was briefly shut down by state agriculture authorities due to a grain shortage and a payment complaint. An auditor with the Arkansas Plant Board posted a cease and desist notice on the property of Southwind Milling Co. on Friday, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2cBFc0o ) reports . The notice said Southwind had violated the Arkansas Public Grain Warehouse Law for ...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Helena shelter seeks security system after dogs' deathsHELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (AP) — Officials plan to add a security system to a Helena-West Helena animal shelter after three dogs were killed earlier this summer. The Humane Society of the Delta says the cages for the three dogs had been opened and the animals had been attacked. Little Rock television station KTHV reports (http://bit.ly/2cx55vP ) that officials believe that the shelter dogs were killed by fighting dogs. But the shelter had no ca...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Northwest Arkansas has 14 confirmed cases of mumpsSPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) — The number of mumps cases in northwest Arkansas ballooned Tuesday with 14 confirmed cases and another 59 suspected cases. The mumps outbreak is by far the state's largest cluster since 2010, when five cases of the viral infection were confirmed. This year's outbreak is centered in northwest Arkansas, where the opt-out rate for vaccinations far exceeds any other area of the state, according to Arkansas Department of Heal...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

University of Arkansas increases internet speedFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has increased its internet connection speed as a result of an upgraded link to a national higher education broadband network. The university's connection has been boosted from 10 gigabytes per second to 100 gigabytes per second, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2c14diS ) reports. Steven Fulkerson, director of the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network, sa...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Family Council opposing Arkansas medical lawsuits measureLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Family Council Action Committee said Tuesday it opposes an effort to limit damages awarded in medical lawsuits in Arkansas, signaling a potential split among conservatives on the ballot measure. The committee, a socially conservative group that has opposed gay marriage and pushed for abortion restrictions in the state, announced its opposition to the effort to allow the Legislature to cap non-economic damages award...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Nevada doctor convicted of Arkansas murders seeks new trialCONWAY, Ark. (AP) — A Carson City, Nevada, doctor who was convicted of killing two men in Conway is asking for a new trial. Attorneys for 66-year-old Richard Conte allege Conte's defense attorneys were ineffective when he was convicted in 2013 of the 2002 shooting deaths of 49-year-old Carter Elliott and 25-year-old Timothy Wayne Robertson. Conte was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The Log Cabin Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/2bMy...

by
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley